The exclusiveness and peculiarity of the event at the international level:
This contest, the only one in Šiauliai Region, is included in the official list of events of International Organization of Folk Art IOV (UNESCO) and FIDAF.
Only a small number of Folklore contests are organized in the world. This contest is one of a few events of such kind in the Eastern Europe.
This event is included into the list of priority cultural events of Šiauliai city and Šiauliai Region.
In the 9th International Contest-Festival “The Flower of the Sun” the participants will compete in 6 categories by introducing as wide range of folk performers as possible: from traditional folklore dancers, instrumental music, vocal groups, solo vocalists, instrumentalists, to stylized folk groups. Lithuanian artists will have an opportunity to participate not only in the competition programme, but also in the festival programme. It is based on both the authentic and authorialconcepts of folklore performance and creation.
The authoritative commission, evaluating the contest, containing known specialists of Lithuania and foreign countries, will help to solve the questions of folklore development, value and expression.
The prize fund of competition is planned to be more than 4000 Euros, while the Grand Prix will be 1500 Euros. Financial motivation and material incentive will enable the change of folk artists’ value and self-esteem in the context of cultural and social life.
The International Contest-Festival provides the opportunity to represent and to demonstrate own uniqueness both the groups and soloists (I category: Traditional folklore groups of dancers, II: Stylized folklore groups of dancers, III: Instrumental music bands, IV: Traditional vocal bands, V: Solo vocalists, VI: Solo instrumentalists).
The exclusiveness and peculiarity of the project at Lithuanian level:
The aspect of art style. While still a rather strict aesthetic value of the polarization between the authentic and other folk styles in Lithuania prevails, this contest-festival helps to reveal their peculiarities in relation, rather than eliminating the “other”. The priority is given to authentic arrangements in this event.
State, celebration dates. During the contest-festival Mindaugas Coronation day will be exclusively mentioned among the closing ceremonies of the festival.
It is one of the biggest, brightest and famous ethnic cultural events in Northern Lithuania and the whole country.
Purposes:
- To develop, educate and promote miscellaneous sociocultural and economic development of Šiauliai Region.
- To promote the idea of volunteering.
- To develop the self-esteem of Šiauliai citizens.
- To develop a positive image of Šiauliai Region in Lithuania and foreign countries.
- To promote the interest of society and festival guests on the traditional culture of Lithuania.
To develop and promote cultural, interinstitutional co-operation, knowledge, dispersion, tourism of Northern Lithuania, and entrepreneurship. - To develop more qualitative, professional, discursive approach, by assessing the ethnic culture, its dispersion.
- To create conditions for young artists to get knowledge and take over the traditions of folk, to promote the interest of youth on folklore.
- To decrease the differences of culture dispersion between centre and regions.
